Shipping-case.



VPAT'BNTBD SEPT. 1o, 1907.

` W. E. SMITH. SHIPPINGG-ASE. APPLIUATION FILED 00ml. 1906.

sTaThEs PATENT ori non-,f.fv

WALTER EENEsTsMiTi-i, or o LAY CENTER, KANSAS.

SHIPPING-onen. 1 Y

ANo. 865,538.

. taken apart and packed together when the commission agent, merchant, or consumer desires to. return it to the poultry farm or producer, so that the cases can be reshipped at comparatively little expense.

The invention has for one lof 4its objects to provide a shipping case of this character whichis preferably made of sheet metal so as to successively standthe comparatively rough handling incident to shipping and to be of A further obj ectrof the invention islto provide a simple, inexpensive and substantial case in which the vav rious parts ,thereof are connected by joints s o constructed and dispose'das to greatly reinforce the crate 4or case and to vact as handholds for facilitating the handling .of the same andas guards and spacers for protecting the case from juxtaposed objects, so, that the latter vcannot come in contact with or strike against the sides of the case. I

Another obj ect of the invention is the employment of a simple means for removablysecuring the central partition in the shipping case, so that the parts ofthe latter canbe conveniently disconnected for-packing the case for reshipment, v I' With these objects in view, and others, as will appear asthe natureof the invention is better understood, the invention comprises the various novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts, which will be more vfully described hereinafter, and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto. l i 1 In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments of the invention, Figure l is a per spective view-of the shipping case. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof. Fig. 3 isa vertical longitudinal section of the shipping case. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of one ofthe corners. Fig. 5`is a .detail sectional view' of a portion of the crate showing the modified means yfor fastening the cover.

Corresponding. parts in the several figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

Referring tothe drawing, l designates the top or,

i cover, 2 the bottom,"3 the sides, and 4 the ends of the case. These several parts are preferablyl constructed of galvanized sheet iron of suitable gage, and they are so proportioned as to produce a case of substantially the saine capacity as egg cases commonly employed in the trade, that is to say, a capaity of'thirty dozen of eggs.

, Specification of Letters Patent. Applieaton filed October 31, 1906. Serial No. 341.465;-

, Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

The parts of the crate are detachably connected by interlocking joints which are connected and disconnected by a relative sliding movement of two adjacent parts. As shown more clearly in Fig. 4, each jointcompriscs anexterior. roll and 'an` interior roll formed on the edges of two adjacent parts, such, for instance, as the bottom v2 and one of the sides 3, as shown in said figure. y The exterior rolls are, by preference, though not necessarily on the top l, bottom 2, and the vertical edges of the end pieces, 4, while the interior rolls are on the four edges of eac'b side piece 3. The rollsaremade in a suitable f rolling machine and are'p'roportioned to snugly fit one in the other by alongitudinal sliding movement of the`v side 3 with respectl to the bottom 2. 'Theroll joints preferably extend the full length and height of *thel case, so as. to perform the threefold function of greatly reinforcing and stiffening. -the casealong the' corner edges thereof, of affording hahdholds whereby the case can be conveniently picked up and carried, or otherwise handled, and of forming guards-'attire sides and objects, from striking the sides and causing probable tonv1,while the rolls 19 and 2O are at the opposite ends thereof. They all curve outwardly from the outer surfaces of the sides. Theends 4 have `their vertically extending rolls 2l and'22 bent back along the inner A ends of the case for preventing adjacent casesor other i.

faces thereof wliil'e the horizontal rolls-23 are curved outwardly along the outer surfaces ofthe ends. The top and bottom ofthe case may be counter-parts and have their side edges formed into rolls, those on the re spective side edges of the top, numbered 24 and 25, and

those on the bottom 2 numbered 26 and 27, which curve back on the inner surfaces thereof. Theend edges 7 are preferably turned back flat so'as to reinforce .lth'e said edges. InA assembling the parts of the' case, the bottom rolls 18 of the sidesare engaged with the rolls 26-27 of'the,bottom and the sides slid into proper position. The side rolls 2l -22 of the ends4 bre then engaged with the end rolls l9'-20 of the sides 3 and the ends 4 slid down until their lower edges strike upon the bottom 2. -The sides 3 will thus be locked to the bottom rolls of the ends 4 do not 'coperate to form jointsl between the ends of the top 'and bottom of the case, but

are employed to stiffen the ends 4 and to form handholds and spacers. In adapting the crate for shipping of eggs, a central transverse'cushion is employed, and

l 0 0 tom and the ends 4 to the sides. The case can then be l the eggs are palclied in the'usual Acardboard fillers and horizontal partitions, so that they will be amply pro By preference, the partition 8 is constructed oi wood and the ends are provided with lugs 9 which engage in openings 1() in the sides 3 oi the case. By means oi these lugs, the partition 8 is heldin a central transverse position. The partition is mounted in the case vaiter the sides 3 are placed on the bottom and before the ends 4 are assembled on the sides. This permits the sides to be swung outwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, so that the partition can be adjusted on the bottom 2 with the lugs 9 in allinement with lthe lopenings 10. A-iter the partition is so placed, the sides Spare moved inwardly to thevertical position to interlock the. lugs in theopenings `The ends 4 are then secured to the sides 3, so'tliat the latter are held inthe i fes rdspect'to the body 0i the case, In the event that it is not desirable to hold the parts in place byfsuch a frictional engagement, the. topand bottom and ends are provided with apertures l1 near their adjacentedges through which suitable iastenings, such as wires 12, can

be inserted for holding the top and bottom in place.

It may be found desirable in. some instances to employ a hinge cover, instead of a slide cover such as that shown-in Fig. 1. For this purpose, the cover is provided with a rollat one side similar toone of the rolls of the cover 1, and the coveris attached at one edge by means oi its roll sliding into the roll oi the adjacent side 3-` Such a roll joint, besides permitting the cover to be readily attached or detached, also permits of the cover being swung open or closed, The iree edge oi the cover is indicated at 13 in Fig, 5, and it is curved downwardly so as to snugly fit against the top roll of the adjacent side 3. The edge 13 is provided with a hingedly conf, nected .hasp 14 which engages over an eye or loop 15 on l the adjacent side 3 ofthe case, and the cover can'be v45 locked closed by means of asuitable lock, such as 16.'

' l have described the principle oi operation oi the invention, together with the device which I now considerto be the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus `shown is made, when` desired, as are within the scope of the invention.

A kuockdown shipping case of sheet metal comprising s. bottom plate provided with rolls on its side edges, side plates ear-h' having rolls on all of its edges, the rolls on the lower edges interlocking with and having a hinged connection with rolls on the bottom plate,a partition plate provided with pinsv on each side edge adapted to engage regi's` tering openings in snidplates only afteithe latter plates have first swung outwardly, end plates each having rollsv onlts side edges to interlock with similar' rolls on saidA side plates and top and bottom rolls to form hand holds or grips, and a. top sheet having side rolls .adapted to interlock with the. upper rollson the aforesaid side sheets and dat ends extending over the .top rolls of tlfe end sheets.

`In testimony-that I claim' the yforegoing as my own, I have hereto adixed mysignature inthe presence oi.' two witnesses. f

Witnesses: 1

E. E.- ViNCEN'r, WALLACE H. VINCENT.

merely illustrative, and Vthat various changes may be 4 WArJrnn'nRNEsT SMITH. .F' 

